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My shrine all set up!

A small list of what if have on my personal alter, my S.P.O.T “ Special Place of Tranquility “ as Sensei calls it.

The first is the altarpiece which was hand made by a friend of our program, inside is the photograph of the Earth which came with the alter. I can change it out, but for now I enjoy the imagery.

Below resting on the alter is my Okesa. The Okesa is my “ministerial Stole”. As the Reverend Marvin Harada says, “The okesa represents the original Buddha's robes that the Buddha wore from discarded cloth. Over the centuries and though the cultures of China and Japan, The form of the okesa has changed, but it continues to represent the 2500 years of Buddhist tradition, to truly be a follower of the Buddha. Sensei sad that although the okesa is light in material, when he puts it on his shoulders, he feels that it is very heavy, as there is great responsibility that goes along with it.”

Behind the Alter is my Pai Sho board! Pai Sho is a fictional game from the television show Avatar the last Airbender. I credit that show for being my first glimpse into eastern thought and Buddhist teachings, especially from Uncle Iroh who was known for having a fondness for tea and Pai Sho. My father and I made the board together, so it also reminds me of our time spent together ( he’s fine, no worries!)

The two candle figures on either side of the alter were given to me by a friend in high-school, he claims they are from Tibet but i’ve never got that verified. Either way it was very nice of him and I appreciate the thought. ( I had my start in Buddhism with the Dalai Lama, so its a nice reminder of that as well. In-fact you can just see the top of his head in a photo in my desk if you look close).

On the Wall to my left are four photos of influential teaches in my life. Top leftis Alan Watts, top right is Han Shan and Shi te, bottom left is a teacher and friend of mine, (for privacy reasons i’ll excluded his name), and bottom right is Jesus of Nazareth (Even though I left Christianity, I find many of the teachings of the Nazarene still wise, still a Bodhisattva in my heart.)

Below that on the desk is a photo of my longtime Girlfriend and I, to be in a relationship teach’s many lessons, trust me on that.

Next to that is a photo of my Sensei and I at my ordination. I’ll write a bit more on that on a later date. (but as he says, Keep going!”

To the other side of my Alter is a photo of Sensei Gyomay Kubose (Father and Sensei to my teacher), in the corner is a photo of his teacher Sensei Akegarasu Haya, and the a photo of his teacher Sensei Kiyozawa Manshi! A small linage of the Dhamra line I’m lucky enough to belong to. (Included is a close up)

Next to that is a small bell my good friend gave me as a congratulations, its mirrored to my singing bowl on the other side.

Above this is my Dhama name “Shinyo” written in Japanese by a Calligrapher (although this was just a sketch by him really on practice paper, but its better than anything I could write!).

And finally on the far right is the stature of the Buddha gifted to me by my friend Alba back in high-school for Christmas. If you look back far enough in my post history you can find the story about her, i think its called “Alba Bodhisattva” And covered in it is my collection of Mala Beads.

That should be it! I encourage any of you to make a S.P.O.T for yourselves!

- Shinyo

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